E-News on the Lane
Highlights from the week at Indian Lane
October 12-16, 2015
Message from our Principal
As I am sure you have heard, Mr. John Reid was approved by the school
board Tuesday night as Indian Lane’s next principal. I would like to
welcome Mr. Reid and wish him the best here when he begins in
January, 2016.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a wonderful success on
Thursday. The turnout was amazing. It was evident that students and
grandparents truly enjoyed spending time together here at school.
Thanks to everyone who helped, donated, and volunteered.
Please remember to sign up to attend one of our newly inspired Bobcat
Pride Breakfasts. Families should choose one month from November to
June for the whole family to attend. The deadline to sign up is
October 31st. If you have any questions, please e-mail Mrs. Hatton.
Halloween will be here before we know it. Guidelines for costumes, the
afternoon parade, and classroom parties can be found on our website.
Enjoy the fall weather this weekend.
From our Classrooms
Kindergarten
The kindergarten students completed Unit 1 in Reading Workshop. In
the unit the students discovered they all can read books through
pictures and words. The children learned how to read with a partner,
connect the title and pages, read the patterns, read words they know,
retell a story, and think about the important parts. At the end of the
unit the children received a certificate and celebrated by reading with
new partners.
In math the children completed learning about the numbers 0-9. They
have been learning how to make these numbers in different ways, and
learned how to form the numbers correctly.
Grandparents and special friends enjoyed visiting the class on
Thursday. They were about to learn about Morning Meeting and
Reading Workshop. Our special visitors were thrilled to hear the
students read to them at the end of the visitation.
First Grade
This week our readers practiced being word detectives. We will be
teaching your child ten different strategies to use for solving tricky
words. Each strategy is connected to a cute and catchy animal phrase.
st​
We are hoping that a 1​
graders LOVE of gimmicks and gadgets will
help them remember these useful word solving tools. After all the
strategies are introduced, your child will have a bookmark with animal
images and phrases. I encourage you to use the same language at home
whenever your child gets to a tricky word they cannot figure out.
These strategies should replace the old-standby “sound it out”
strategy. This week we learned:
o ​
Eagle Eye – Check the pictures for clues
o ​
Lips the Fish – Say the first sound
o ​
Stretchy Snake – stretch out all the sounds slowly but not
individually
o ​
Skippy the Frog – skip the word, read on and go back to it
o ​
Stripes the Zebra – if the story has a pattern like repeated
lines or rhyming, use the pattern
Second Grade
In Reading Workshop, the children now have new reading partners! One
purpose of having a partner is to push each other’s understanding of
text. For example, a student will ask his or her partner to explain what
he or she just read by asking, “What does that ​
really mean?” We have
also started guided reading groups. This is when we meet with a small
group to work on identified areas needing growth and/or to extend
skills.
Writing Workshop had the students focusing on making sure their
writing made sense and sounded right. They also worked on creating
powerful endings for their small moments. Some even began to revise
their stories to create an effect on the reader. All along, we continued
to learn from our mentor authors.
In Math, the children completed addition and subtraction word
problems. Another objective of this week was to use words, pictures,
numbers and symbols to construct a math argument and to critique the
math work of others. In other words, strong math thinkers think about
why they are right. They can talk about the math others do, too. Look
for ​
Tools for Success information that went home today! We wanted
to thank all of the parents who have agreed to help out with the Tools
for Success program…please know we appreciate your time!
Our group communities look fantastic and are now hanging in the hall.
What you can’t see, however, are the wonderful conversations that we
heard taking place as your children were planning their communities. It
was exciting to hear such comments as, “We need more roads so people
can get to the hospital” and “Let’s put more stores near these houses.”
Third Grade
Third graders continued to learn about multiplication this week,
practicing our 0, 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10 math facts. We also enjoyed
Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day during math this week, where
we played multiplication bingo! In Reading Workshop, we began a new
unit focusing on characters. This week, we started reading series books
with our reading partners, and learned to ask questions to makes our
reading conversations more meaningful. In Writing Workshop, we
continued to work with our personal narratives. We spent time revising
and adding stellar endings. In Social Studies, we started our travel
brochure project, researching one of three places around the United
States. Our places are Roseburg, Oregon; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and
Gloucester, Massachusetts. Next week, we will begin to create our
brochures based on the research we did this week!
Fourth Grade
Grandparents and Special friends really seemed to enjoy their visit to
fourth grade classrooms. They were treated to students thinking and
acting like geographers and scientists. In two classes, visitors were
able to witness students interacting with maps and globes, and learning
how to find places using a variety of specialty maps. In the other
classes, students had begun working with microscopes, and were
observing microfiche and different types of newspaper and magazine
photographs under the microscope.
Fifth Grade
In Reading, we are continuing with Reader’s Workshop Unit 1. We will
work to develop theories about characters and books, and add our
ideas to sticky notes.
In Writer’s Workshop, we are continuing with personal narratives,
using story arcs to develop the heart of the story, bringing out the
real meaning and lessons readers can learn from their writing.
In AMP, students are continuing to work on multiplying and dividing
fractions. In Pearson Envisions, we are working through adding and
subtracting decimals.
We are looking forward to Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day. Our
activities allow all students to participate whether or not a
grandparent or special friend can attend.
Mr. Woods will be coming back to Indian Lane to explain to students
about Enviro-Challenge. If students are interested, he will distribute
information to sign up.
From our Specialists:
Art
First graders created spooky landscapes with a plastic straw and ink.
Second grade is learning about warm and cool colors. Third graders are
adding neutral colors to their line drawings. Fourth graders are making
a regions folder to celebrate the United States. Fifth graders had
their wire sculptures spray painted silver.
Gym
● First and Second grades continue their tag game unit.
● Third and Fourth grades continue soccer skills and small game
activities.
● Fifth Grade continues football skills and small game activities.
Library
In library class, kindergarteners learned facts about pumpkins in the
book, ​
Fall Pumpkins: Orange and Plump​
by Martha E. H. Rustard. First
and second graders are exploring fiction and non-fiction books using
BookFlix. And third, fourth, and fifth graders are practicing
alphabetical ordering in the fiction sections of the library.
This year’s first “Indian Lane Night at Middletown Free Library” is
coming up next Tuesday, October 20th. Mrs. Hatton and Mr. Jason
hope you can join us to share stories around the “campfire.” Parents
and kids are encouraged to come with stories to share. And, what
campfire would be complete without S’mores? Younger siblings are
welcome.
If you would like to volunteer in the library, please visit Mrs. Hatton’s
website or click here to sign up. Thank you!
Music
st​
1​
– On the serious side we composed so-mi songs on a staff but for
fun we did the “Gummy Bear” dance.
nd​
2​
– Second graders can now distinguish between a Beethoven
symphony and a Sousa march!
rd​
3​
– Verse, refrain, D.C. al fine, line note, space note, staff – so many
concepts to learn this year.
th​
4​
– We know lots of facts about “The Star Spangled Banner.” Just
ask us!
th​
5​
– Chimes are not just for the “Bobcat Ensemble.” All fifth graders
were introduced to them this week.
From our PTG:
To view this week’s PTG Newsletter,​
click here​
​
, or visit the website.
Thanks to everyone who made it to the PTG meeting this past Tuesday,
Oct. 6th. The next PTG meeting is November 17th. Hope to see you
there!
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
● Sunday, 10/18 - Arasapha Farms Indian Lane Day
● Monday, 10/19 - 5th grade Band rehearsal begins, 7:50 a.m.,
cafeteria
● Tuesday, 10/20 - Indian Lane Night at Middletown Free Library,
6 p.m.
● Thursday, 10/22 - Featured Artist Breakfast, 8:30 a.m.
● Thursday, 10/22 - School Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Penncrest
● Friday, 10/23 - Philadelphia Zoo Assembly
● Wednesday, 10/28 - Principal’s Advisory Board meeting, 3:30 p.m.
● Thursday, 10/29 - Picture Make-up Day
● Friday, 10/30 - Fourth Grade Pumpkin Day
● Friday, 10/30 - Halloween Parade (1:45 p.m.) & Classroom Parties
(2:30-3:15 p.m.)